Unknown Stories: The "Original" Aud

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Before the Memorial Auditorium was built, sports fans flocked to another "Aud", which is now home to Buffalo's blizzard battlers.

The Broadway Auditorium hosted every sport from hockey to bicycle racing, bowling and boxing. It sat about 5,000 and was the home to sport entertainment for the early part of the 20th century.

The "Aud" was built onto the 65th Regiment Armory, as it was expanded and renovated, the armory building was ultimately demolished. The front wall of the armory, complete with turrets still stands as the back interior wall of the main garage.

These days the building has found new life as the city's "Broadway Barns". The garage is where the City of Buffalo stores it's plow fleet and salt stockpile. But even as the plows roll in and out, the stories still revolve around the building of the dayswhen the Buffalo Majors professional hockey team skated there or Buffalo's champ Jimmy Slattery poundedopposing pugilists.